


Acting Like I Don't Care

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Actor Keith (Voltron), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Flirting, Coming Out, Fluff and Humor, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Homophobia, Humor, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, Mutual Pining, Underage Drinking, Writer Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:54:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The autumn air nipped at Lance’s nose as he followed Pidge and Hunk through the pumpkin patch. To be completely honest, lance didn't want to be here. He was supposed to be studying for a biology lab but Pidge insisted that they “had to go to the fall festival tonight!” Lance was exhausted, to say the least, and was just barely managing to follow around the pair.---------------Lance has to confront his feelings after he runs into an actor at a fall festival. Keith has to find a way to leave behind his past after he is saved by a boy in a corn maze.
Relationships: Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've never actually published my fanfics before. I'm not much of a fiction writer, but I needed to make this *very specific* fic come to life! please be patient w/ me <3 all feedback is greatly appreciated!!  
> instagram: fairys0da

The autumn air nipped at Lance’s nose as he followed Pidge and Hunk through the pumpkin patch. To be completely honest, lance didn't want to be here. He was supposed to be studying for a biology lab but Pidge insisted that they “ _ had _ to go to the fall festival  _ tonight!”  _ Lance was exhausted, to say the least, and was just barely managing to follow around the pair. 

“Are you even listening, Lance??” Hunk asked while leading Pidge to the entrance of the corn maze.

“Ah…… not really” he answered. He stuck his hands into his blue hoodie, just realizing how cold they were.

Pidge huffed and spun around, “well we  _ were _ asking if you wanted to go through the haunted corn maze, but we are already here. Now you have to go”. A group of teens walked past them and into the maze- one of them had a paper cone of candied nuts. The smell made Lance’s stomach growl.

“Alright but let me get some food first? I don't even have enough energy to be scared right now.” Lance turned and started walking away before Pidge could answer. He felt a little more energetic- Lance was looking forward to the haunted maze since August. He barely had any time now that he was in college. Last year he would've jumped at the idea of a  _ haunted maze _ . Especially at festival that was popular with sororities. Starting college was a lot harder than Lance had imagined. Since August he'd only seen Pidge and Hunk in passing or when they show up at his dorm with food. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure the last time he called his mom. He needed to do that.

Lance bought a bag of popcorn with cash and tossed a piece in his mouth. He turned around expecting for Hunk and Pidge to still be waiting by the entrance of the maze but they weren’t there. His phone buzzed:

**Pidge**

We went into the maze 

Come find us >:DD !!! 

“Psh they have another thing coming..’ Lance mumbled and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He strolled through the maze entrance and began to wander. The actual “haunted” part of the maze was near the back. As Lance made his way through the first half, he heard a few screams and the smells of the festival faded. he walked for a few minutes, alternating between left and right turns. Lance was far enough into the maze that the light from the festival was a soft glow. “Am I going the right way?” he thought aloud. It was practically pitch black and he was  _ sure _ he walked far enough to find his friends or at least the scares.

He pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket for light. After unlocking it Lance turned on his flash and shone it around. There was nothing but corn. He texted pidge, hoping they would find him:

**Pidge**

We went into the maze 

Come find us >:DD !!! 

Where r u guys?

**_! Message not delivered_ **

Lance sighed and turned off his flash-  _ no service. _ It was perfectly still and silent for a moment and Lance stood for a moment enjoying the silence before turning around. The silence was abruptly broken by the corn cracking. “What the fu-”

Before lance could finish he was being tackled into the corn. He opened up his mouth to scream but a hand was quickly cupped over it. His eyes adjusted to see a boy with a black mop of hair over him. Lance’s heart patterned in his chest and he was frozen for a second- just a second- then he started thrashing around and yelling.

“Shhh!! Shush be quiet- stop!” the boy begged while trying to hold Lance down. “I work here- just be still!” Lance stopped, but only because he saw another flashlight through the corn

The light got closer and a group of 2 or 3 boys walked by. “Where the fuck did he even go?” -a loud sigh- “I’m going to beat his fucking ass.” They turned off their lights and walked away. Lance stayed still until the boy lifted his hand. 

They stared at each other for a second before lance burst out, " oh my god! oh fuck. are you okay?" lance didn't wait for an answer before siting up and pulling the boy closer to examine his face. It looked like he was covered in bruises and cuts. Blood was smeared across his bottom lip and nose. A pair of Violet eyes blinked at him sheepishly. "seriously what happened? Did they do that?" Lance questioned again.

"It's makeup," he answered quietly. "I work here- well- I was working here. I think this counts as my break." Lance opened his mouth in a silent "oh". The same silence Lance was surrounded by before, returned. The boy pulled back, "uh.. could you like.. let go now?" Lance let go and shuffled back, rustling corn husks as he went. 

"sorry.." Lance mumbled. He wiped his nose on his sleeve-  _ Damn it was getting cold. _ The pair sat across from each other silently. Lance was still trying to process what the fuck had just happened.  _ Who is he? Who were they? Am I going to die? Ow! What?  _ He looked down at his palms and saw a cut from the corn husks. Lance started to stand up and reached out a hand to help the boy. Lance pulled him up and stuck his hands in his pocket. “Can you help me get out of here?”

“Yeah uh.. Come on” Lance followed the boy back into the maze. They walked side by side and Lance shot him concerned glances every few minutes. As they got closer to the exit, the maze got a bit brighter. Lance could now see the boy was about his height, and probably his age. He couldn’t see a lot of his face because of the zombie makeup. The walk was silent and awkward. Lances phone buzzed quickly a few times as his service returned:

**Pidge**

Bruh where r u??

Lanceyy poooo?

**Hunk**

Did you get lost?

We are waiting at the exit

Lance looked up and saw the boy had stopped walking. It looked like he had taken Lance to a spot on the outside edge of the maze where props were being stored. Someone screamed on the other side of the maze and Lance jumped.

“You’re bleeding. There's a first-aid box here. It’s the least I could do,” the boy said while digging in a clear storage bin. He pulled out a red box and turned on a flashlight off of a keychain that hung around his neck. “Come here,” he reached out and pulled Lance’s arm. Lance stood awkwardly as the boy sat atop of a box and examined the cut on his palm. “I’m Keith. By the way,” he added as he began to jumble around in the first aid kit.

Lance nodded and kept his hand out. Keith pulled out a packet of ointment and a few bandaids. “I didn’t mean to tackle you- I mean I did- but I didn't want to. They probably would’ve thought you were  _ me _ and dragged you off somewhere.. Or something.”

  
“Who are they?” Lance sniffled.

“We used to be… friends. Things didn’t end well. I guess he heard i was working tonight and decided to bring his posse to start a fight.” Keith smoothed out the bandaid over Lance’s palm. He looked up to Lance and smiled softly, “not your problem though. I’ll walk you to the exit.”

Keith hopped off of the boxes and started leading Lance to the exit. Lance saw a small pony tail poking out of the back of Keith’s ripped hoodie. He scoffed. “A  _ mullet?” _

Keith groaned and kept walking, “yes. A mullet-”

“Lance??? Oh my god Lance!” Hunk Yelled when he saw Lance appear from behind an arch marked ‘employees only’. Pidge ran up to Lance and smacked his arm- Hunk not far behind her. 

“Where were you? Are you that bad at mazes?” Pidge laughed before realizing he was being escorted by an employee. “ _ Ooooohh  _ did an employee have to help you Lancey Poo?” She cooed 

“No, actually,  _ Mullet _ here had to give me a bandaid.” Lance deadpanned and held up his palm for display. 

Pidge opened her mouth, probably to give a snarky reply, but a tall man clapped hunk on the back. “I see you found him?” he joked.

“Seems so! Thanks for your help though, Shiro,” Hunk said sweetly. “It’s nearly 11:30, we should probably head home Lance.” Lance nodded.

“Have a safe drive,” Shiro waved as he turned away. He paused and nodded to Keith before walking back to one of the game booths. Hunk and Pidge tailed him, Lance following. He sighed and kicked at the dust as he walked away. Tonight was weird. Really weird. He looked up when he was tapped softly on the shoulder. 

“Lance? Was that your name?” Keith asked quickly.

“Yeah. Lance.”

“Thank you for not freaking out Lance.”

Lance nodded and stood still for a moment before catching back up to Pidge and Hunk. As they walked back to the car, Pidge teased Lance about his bandaid and Hunk hummed out-of-tune Halloween songs. 

Lance looked back at the festival and he flopped into the backseat of Hunks orange Subaru. Maybe coming to this festival wasn’t the worst idea. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos on the last chapter :3 was rlly surprised that many people actually read it! hope yr enjoying so farrrr. theres some weird theatre lingo in this chapter- i try to explain it but incase you are confused;
> 
> * techies - people who run tech (lights, sound, stagehands, costuming, etc)  
> * tech/ tech week - the week before a show where you run the whole show several times with all of tech and actors. also know as hell week.  
> * the booth - a small booth at the back of the theatre where the people who run lights and sound stay.   
> * stage manager - the person who is in charge of calling light and sound cues backstage. usually they sit in the wings and have a headset that goes to the booth.

Keith walked into the door and dropped his bag. The living room was dark besides the soft blue glow of the television. A piece of latex fell off of his face and onto the floor. He groaned and dragged himself through the dark apartment. 

“You’re back late,” Shiro called from the kitchen as Keith passed. 

  
“Yeah I had to help put up the props tonight,” Keith answered and began scrubbing the thick layer of zombie makeup off of his face. “I was supposed to stay even longer but Allura said she’d cover me.” he walked out of the bathroom with water still dripping off of his face. “You’re up late,” he added.

Shiro looked up from his half-made sandwich. “I was a little worried. Just wanted to make sure you got home safe”. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Keith retorted sharply. He reached over and stole a piece of cheese off of Shiro’s sandwich before turning for the hall.

“Whatever you say!” Shiro called after him. Keith Slammed his bedroom and practically fell into bed. His whole body was sore and he was pretty sure there was corn and fake spiders in his pockets. Keith had volunteered - was volun _told -_ to work the fall festival. His theatre professor had sent him an emailing reminding Keith that he was barely passing the class and would love to see him there. 

The first night was pretty tame- definitely no revenge seeking ex-hookups. Keith had the easiest job, sitting in a giant cage and making zombie-ish noises every once in a while, and he still managed to get chased through the cornfield. 

Keith rolled over into his pillow and huffed. He and Lotor hooked up a few times senior year. Lotor came onto him in the first place. It really wasn't a big deal until Lotor made it a big deal. Keith really hadn’t told anyone about it, but someone ending up finding out. Since then Keith avoided Lotor like the plague.

His phone vibrated on the nightstand and Keith reached for it blindly. A group texted from Theatre.

**Theatre**

**Allura:** Hey guys!!! :) super great tonight! Looking forward to seeing you all at rehearsals tmrw. Tech needs to be there- thx

“..fuck” keith groaned and opened up a private DM with Allura. She was the President of the theatre and also happened to be dating Keith's older brother, Shiro.

**Allura**

Heey Allura. I know tech is supposed to be coming in tmrw but 

It's been a really long night. Is it cool if I skip?

No.

Someone has to run lights. Tech is in like 2 weeks.

Keith let out an audible groan and rolled over. He loved theatre, he just really didnt feel like crawling out of bed tomorrow and sitting in the booth for 3 hours running lights. That’s where he had met Lotor, in the booth. He was a football player but needed a fine art credit to get his diploma. The teacher stuck him in the booth with Keith to minimize the spread of his "im too cool for this" mentality.

It didn’t take long for the pair to get  _ very _ comfortable with each other. They spent an hour alone in a dark room for an entire year, what else did Keith expect to happen? The thought of Lotor made Keith’s stomach churn. He hated him.

Exhaustion set in and suddenly Keith was asleep.

The morning was a blur. Keith had Shiro drop him off at the theatre at 9:30 am and banged on the door until Allura let him. Her silvery hair was up in a pony tail and she had on sweatpants and sneakers. She was already carrying that goddamned clipboard and binder.

“You weren’t lying- you look like shit!” she giggled when Keith entered the lobby of the theatre. 

Keith crossed his arms, “Yeah, well, I tried to warn you. Are the actors backstage or something? It's quiet”.

Allura nodded, “yeah- Shay is lecturing them. One of the freshmen ate in their costume…” Shay was doing costuming for the show. She was super sweet and laid back, except when the actors did anything to harm the costumes.

Keith bit his lip. He probably had 15 more minutes before any of the actors would be on stage. 

Allura practically tossed her binder at Keith, “You need to study the light cues. All the calls are in the script”.

“Uugh.. seriously?” Keith groaned and started walking to the booth door. “You made me come here  _ just _ to study light cues?”

“That’s what you get for skipping the last rehearsal. Coran may yell for a blackout every once in a while. Who  _ else _ is smart enough to turn off all the lights, Keith? Had to have ya here” Allura teased and pulled open the stage door. “Have fun!”

Keith Sat in the booth for 10 minutes going over light cues. He used to memorize them so quickly, but the last few months he was off his game. The house lights were off, but when Keith looked up he saw someone jumping over the rows of chairs. Even in the dark he knew who it was. 

Coran, his StageCraft professor knocked on the glass in front of Keith. Keith pushed open the booth window, “hi professor..” 

“Why hello Keith! Kind of you to join us!” he gestured to the stage where a group of actors began to emerge. Keith laughed nervously and pushed the hair out of his face. “Thanks for helping out last night,” Coran tapped the glasses again and bounded down the aisle of the audience, starting to yell stage directions at the group.

Allura was right, Coran called for a blackout a few times. But besides that and skimming over the light cues, Keith sat in the booth on his phone for nearly 3 hours. He was so absorbed in his Instagram scrolling he didn't notice rehearsal was over until Allura cracked open the booth door.

“Get much done?” She asked, pulling a stool over to sit by Keith. He drummed a pencil against Allura’s binder.

“I guess so. Thanks for letting me use your script.” There was a beat of silence before Allura spoke again.

“Shiro texted me and told me something happened last night. You should’ve told me, I would have excused you and-”

“It's no big deal. Nothing happened” Keith loved Shiro but  _ god _ he was overbearing sometimes. 

“Well, how did you meet Lance?” Keith’s stomach twisted. He was trying to push Lance to the back of his mind. He wasn’t exactly planning on tackling someone in a cornfield last night, especially a  _ cute  _ boy. He felt his ears heat up. _Lance was not a cute boy._

“What? How do you know Lance?” He sputtered. The last thing he needed was Allura and Shiro finding out he practically assaulted someone.

“Hunk is Shay’s boyfriend. Shiro and I have gone on a few double dates with them. We met Lance once in passing.” She started flipping through the script, reading any notes Keith left. “Hunk asked Shiro to help them find Lance. How did you know he was missing?”

“I didnt… we ran into each other last night and I had to get him a bandaid. I walked him to the exit and his friend- Hunk?- was there.” That wasn’t a lie- just not the whole truth. 

“Oh okay. I can give you a ride home. i know Shiro drove you,” Allura chirped and jingled her keys. She had just bought a new car and was desperate to show it off to anyone who let her.

“Actually, I think i'm going to go to the library,” Keith hummed. Honestly, he just didn’t want to go home and be questioned by Shiro again. The last time anything with Lotor happened, Shiro didn't let him out of the house alone for a month.

Allura started to protest then waved her hand, “alright. I’m going out with Shiro for dinner. Can you get an Uber when you're done?” 

Keith nodded and started gathering his things. Allura waved and left just as quickly as she entered. Keith could hear here on the phone with Shiro in the lobby. They were so grossly in love. He left out the back stage door and made his way to the campus library. 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii!! its kinda shocking how many people are enjoying this! im going to start uploading on a schedule. look for new chapters once a week, probably on mondays or saturdays! Im a student and working so it may be late every once in awhile. if you have any suggestions for the story, let me know! im writing this as i go and only have the basic plot mapped out (oops). I can probably fit whatever you want in.  
> This chapter is alot longer, and probably better quality. hopefully that becomes a norm... hopefully...
> 
> okay onto the chapter!

Lance jolted awake as the Library doors slammed shut. He groaned and lifted his head out of the biology textbook he was ‘studying’. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep. When he looked around the library, it looked just as empty as it was when he arrived. He was sitting at a small round table in the back corner, surrounded by shelves and a vending machine. His laptop chimed and a “battery low; 20% power left” message popped up. Lance leaned back in the small wooden chair and pulled out his phone. It was 1:07.

Lance’s efforts to study were obviously unsuccessful. He didn't end up getting back to his dorm until 1:30 AM; which is why he was asleep in the library on a Sunday afternoon. Lance ran a hand through his messy brown hair and began gathering his things. 

He looked up from his bag when he heard the soft humming of the vending machine. Just a few feet away, someone was trying-  _ and failing _ \- to put their dollar in the machine. Lance quietly threw his bag over his shoulder and strolled to the vending machine. Lance couldn’t tell who it was from their red hoodie, but was willing to bet it was a freshman girl.

“Do you ne-”

“AH!” the person shrieked and jumped back, nearly falling flat on their ass. “I didn’t notice- Lance?” They pulled off their hood to reveal a familiar mess of black hair.

“Oh, hi Mullet,” Lance laughed nervously. He rocked back and forth on his heels. “Didn’t mean to scare you. We are even now.” He smirked.

Keith shuffled awkwardly and clenched his jaw, “My name isn’t Mullet.” He crinkled up the dollar bill in his hands and stuck it into his pocket.

“Oh come onn Mullet!” Lance punched Keith in the shoulder and dropped his bag. Keith grumbled and rolled his eyes as he watched Lance crouch down and jumble through his bag.

“What are you doing  _ Lance? _ ” Keith snipped, trying to convince himself he felt inconvenienced. Lance hopped up with a dollar between two fingers. He smirked and took a step to the vending machine. “You don't have to buy me anything,” Keith sighed.

Lance punched in a code and fed the dollar into the machine easily. “I know! Don’t flatter yourself Mullet,” Lance retorted playfully. A rice crispy fell to the bottom of the machine and the pair watched it for a moment. 

“So why are you here?” Lance asked as he pulled out the snack. He leaned against the vending machine and crossed his arms, waiting for Keith's response.

Keith struggled to come up with an actual reason to be at the library. “Studying,” he said quickly. “Stuff for a creative writing class.” That wasn’t a lie, Keith really had to study for a creative writing class.

Lance’s eyes practically lit up. He loved writing- well, english in general. It was a guilty pleasure. He was majoring in environmental sciences, but he always wanted to be an author. When he was younger, Lance would keep countless notebooks just to fill with poetry and stories. 

“You like to write?” He asked gleefully. 

“Not really- I don't mind it, i'm just not any good at it.” Keith looked down. 

“I can help you study!” the words were out of Lance’s mouth before he could really think. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

Keith opened up his mouth to protest. He didn’t like getting help from other people, he just wanted to do things himself. He stopped himself and sighed, “Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

Lance picked up his bag and tossed it onto the same table. Keith followed shyly, placing his bag down next to himself. 

Keith showed Lance some notes and read part of a poem to him. Lance went on and on, babbling on about authors he loved and different poetic techniques. Keith noticed he talked with his hands, waving them everywhere and acting out scenes before him. He fondly watched Lance over explain concepts Keith already knew. By the time Lance finished, Keith had stopped writing notes and was just watching, head cocked.

“You’re pretty good, Lance,” Keith giggled as he rocked back in the chair. 

Lance felt his face flush.  _ Shit how long did I talk…? _ He played it off, “just making sure you’re all caught up, Mullet.” There was a jarring humming noise. They both stared at Lance's bag as it buzzed loudly. “Uh… lemme take this.” He dug through his bag, phone still buzzing and hurried away to answer the call. 

“Hello?”

“Lance! I’m at your dorm and you aren't here?”  _ oh yeah.. Hunk was bringing me food at 2:00  _

“Yeah, I'm at the library. I guess I lost track of time..” That didn’t sound very convincing. 

“I can come grab you! I'm so excited for you to try this- its a cheddar jalapeno bread.” Lance paused and looked back at Keith. Keith looked away quickly, pretending he wasn’t staring at Lance. 

“Uh.. sure. Is there enough for one more?”

Hunk cooed “A girl?? Hm?? Yes, Lance. I’ll be there soon.” Hunk hung up before Lance could correct him. He shuffled back to the table and leaned onto a chair.

“I have to go- I can give you a ride? I walked here so it’s a friends car bu-”

Keith interrupted quickly, “No! That’s ok. I.. have a ride.” 

Lance nodded and picked up his bag. “Can I get your number or something?” an awkward pause. “Yaknow.. For studying and stuff.” He held out his phone stiffly. Keith took it and added himself as a contact.

“Thanks for your help,” Keith handed back the phone. Lance nodded and started backing up. He took the rice crispy he never ate and tossed it at Keith.

“Any time Mullet!” Lance hurried out of the library and made it to the parking lot as Hunk pulled up. He waved and climbed into the passenger seat.

“How was the study sesh?” Hunk asked after turning down the radio.

“Eventful!” Lance chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more info on Lotor :)
> 
> ***The second half of the chapter has violence and some homophobia. Please be aware and feel free to skip over this if you are uncomfortable. There will be a quick summary at the end if you would like to skip it :-)

Keith pushed open the door to his apartment quietly. There were no lights on- Shiro and Allura must still be out. He went straight to his bed, tossing off his hoodie and shoes as he went. He fell into bed and let out a long breath.

The time he spent at the library went by so fast. Watching Lance act out his favorite poems and tease Keith was oddly enjoyable. Keith hadn’t had a crush in months. He barely had time to even think about anything but school work. Lotor was the last person he was romantic with. Using “Lotor” and “romance” in the same sentence made Keith’s stomach churn. He didn’t have a crush on Lance.  _ No way. _

Keith pushed the hair up out of his face as he stared at the ceiling. There were posters from highschool all over the walls and ceiling. Most of them were from musicals or random art prints. The one directly over his bed was from Wicked. He saw it sophomore year with Shiro. It was a birthday present, God knows how long it took Shiro to save up for it.

Keith sat up when he heard the front door open. His nerves calmed as the silence was broken by Shiro’s loud laugh. He heard Allura say something then soft footsteps in the hall. There was a quiet knock on his door. 

“Uh… yes?” Keith croaked. The door cracked open and Allura leaned in. Her hair was down and it fell around her shoulders like silk.

“You okay? I know we talked at rehearsal but there seemed to be something on your mind,” she closed the door and leaned against it, trying to not intrude. Keith sat criss-crossed on his bed debating whether or not to answer.

“Yeah.. I ran into Lotor last night. That’s all,” Keith admitted. Alluras face softened. 

“Does shiro know?”

“No. Don’t tell him. He will follow me around everywhere like a guard dog for the next month.”

Allura crossed her arms and sunk into the pink knit sweater she was wearing. “Alright. But be safe, okay?” she opened the door and walked out of Keith’s room. He let out a loud sigh. Usually Keith didn’t open up to anyone. Allura had some way of making him feel safe.

No matter how hard Keith tried, he couldn’t forget Lotor or push him far enough out of his life. Even mentioning his name made Keith nervous. Keith rolled over and tugged a blanket over him, blankly staring at the wall across from him. Keith hated Lotor.

* * *

“Who the  _ fuck _ did you run your little mouth to?” Lotor snapped. Keith looked around quickly. They were in the back room of the Theatre and the only door was directly behind Lotor. He wasn’t sure if anyone was still here- Keith had stayed after the closing show to clean up. 

“I didn’t tell anyone anything,” Keith said between clenched teeth.

Lotor took a step forward and leaned down into Keith’s face. He shoved him back and Keith fell to the floor clusimly. “Then how did someone on the football team find out? Huh, Keith?” Lotor stood over him. “Because  _ somehow _ the entire football team thinks that I was getting blown by a guy.”

Keith sat up. “What were you expecting to happen, Lotor? I didn’t tell anyone, but someone was going to find out eventually.” Keith crossed his arms, trying not to let the fear and anger take over. “And what do you mean ‘ _ thinks’? _ It happened. I gave you head like 5 times. Or are you going to deny that?”

There was a loud snap and then Keith felt a sharp pain on his cheek.  _ Did he just hit me? _ Before Keith could process what was happening, Lotor had his pressed against the wall with his hands around his neck. Keith struggled to breathe and grabbed at Lotor’s wrists. Pure panic took over him. What was he doing? Keith trusted Lotor. Lotor had always said he liked Keith.

“Stay the fuck away from me. Nothing happened.” Lotor growled as Keith struggled to pull away. Lotor let go harshly and Keith fell onto the ground. Lotor turned and left, bright lights flooding the room when he opened the door. The door closed with a bang and Keith was alone. 

Keith sat in a ball on the floor. It was completely dark and eerily quiet. His heart pounded in his chest and he took a deep breath trying to steady himself. When he exhaled, the only thing that came out was a choked cry. His whole body shook as he sat on the linoleum floors. It felt like he was doing more crying than breathing. His face burned and he already felt the bruises forming around his neck. He couldn’t tell what was physically hurting and what wasn’t.

He reached into his pocket for his phone. Keith needed Shiro. The ball of anxiety in his stomach only grew as he imagined what Shiro would say. He had warned Keith about what might happen. Keith brushed it off and assured Shiro that Lotor actually cared for him.

What was Keith expecting? He had always told himself to never fall for straight boys for this reason. He regretted everything now. All the time in the booth with him. He regretted telling Lotor his secrets. He regretted kissing Lotor back. He regretted agreeing to keep their relationship private because Lotor was ‘straight’. He should’ve known then. 

Keith gasped for air. He wasn’t angry- just heartbroken. He couldn’t be angry. Even though they weren’t really dating, Keith loved Lotor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you skipped over the second half: Someone found out Lotor and Keith were romantically involved. Lotor threatened and beat up keith. Keith cried backstage in the dark because he had loved lotor.
> 
> i swear im trying to make the chapters longer adshfkja


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> early chapter... oops  
> *Some mentions of underage drinking

“So how do you think you did?” Pidge asked as she and Lance walked out of the science building. The air was crisp and dry leaves rattled as the wind blew them around. Pidge had a bag of books on her shoulder that weighed nearly as much as she did.

“Well I don’t think I failed.. If I'm lucky I’ll get 70%.” Lance admitted and zipped up his hoodie. The test was hard even after studying for hours.

Pidge smacked his back. “We should go out tonight ‘cus  _ I  _ know  _ I _ did good,” She teased. Lance pushed her arm. “The bar on Main is doing a Halloween night or something.”

“I do need a break… and who knows… maybe I can bring a cute girl home,” Lance snickered and Pidge made a gagging noise. The pair made it to Lance’s dorm and Pidge checked her phone.

“Hunk’s gonna come. He says he is going to bring Shay and make it a date,” she rolled her eyes at that. Hunk and Shay were so obnoxiously in love. Always sneaking kisses and whispering sweet nothings.Her phone dinged again. “They are going to bring some other people, too.”

“Well then I have to get to dressin’ up! Gotta look cute.” Lance teased.

“Why of course! You need a ride?” 

“Nah I’ll uber or something,” Lance waved goodbye and made it up to his dorm. They usually left at 9, which meant Lance only had an hour and a half to find a costume. He pulled open his dresser and stared into it blankly. He didn’t have a roommate to borrow clothes from, so he was stuck with this. He dug around, throwing things onto the floor and unfolding practically every article of clothing he owned. He came across something that didn’t look familiar. It was a black crop-top and leggings.  _ Definitely not mine. _ He checked the tag, and sure enough Veronica, lance's sister, had scribbled her name on it. It must have been from some dance competition. He wasn’t sure how it ended up in his stuff, but it wasn’t the first Lance found his siblings clothes mixed in with his. 

Lance looked up defeated, he had no idea what to wear. Then he saw it- a pair of cat ears and tail pinned on a stuffed bear. Hunk had gotten him it as a gag gift, but it was coming in handy now. 

Lance looked at his reflection in the mirror in his dorm. He had on Veronica’s old dance clothes and the cat ears. Lance had never worn a crop top before, so it felt strange. He turned in a circle admiring his reflection.  _ Hunk and Pidge are going to get a kick out of this _ . 

* * *

Lance stepped out of the Uber and crossed his arms, trying to cover his stomach and stay warm. He spotted his friends in line a few feet from the door. 

“Lance!” Hunk called gleefully, waving him over. 

“Are you wearing a  _ crop top _ ?” Pidge laughed. She was dressed as a witch,a big black hat and cape covered up most of her figure. 

Lance shivered, “Yes. And I think I look stunning!” he flashed a cheeky smile as he stepped in line with them. 

Shay turned around and smiled “Lance! You’re a cat!” She was holding Hunk’s hand. 

“And you’re a….. “ Lance trailed off and scratched his head.

“Hunk and I are little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf!” she cooed. She stepped aside. “This is Allura and Shiro! I’m not sure if you’ve all met, but Hunk invited them.” She gave an ooey gooey look to Hunk. 

“I think we have met in passing,” Shiro nodded at lance. He wasn’t dressed up. “Nice to formally meet you.” Allura nodded next to him.

“This is Keith, Shiro’s brother, I think you’ve met, right?” Allura gave Keith a little nudge forward.

Keith stood stiffly. He was dressed as a vampire; white collared shirt, red cape, and even fangs. But he still had on those stupid leather gloves. There was a beat. Lance could feel everyone's eyes on him and the atmosphere change to a very awkward one. “Yeah, I think we have ran into each other a few times,” Lance Smirked and crossed his arms.

Lance nearly froze to death waiting in line, but when they made it inside the club, it was almost too hot. Lance had just gotten a fake I.D a few weeks ago. He was planning on using it, but was too nervous to go to the bar alone. He looked for his friends, but they had already scattered. He could see Pidge’s witchhat bobbing in the direction of a booth. 

Lance normally wasn’t nervous or shy, he wasn’t sure why he was now. He took a deep breath and walked to the bar. The music was loud and a strobe light reflected against the mirror behind the bar. Lance had just made his way through the crowd around the bar when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Keith holding two shots with a small smile.

Keith shouted above the music, “Hunk had mentioned you just got a fake! I can’t believe you haven’t had one before!” He chuckled.

“Usually Hunk just buys me drinks with his!” Lance said, still yelling over the music. “I figured I should get one since  _ it is _ my first year in college! How else can I buy girls drinks?” He laughed. Keith laughed too, his nose scrunched up and Lance could see the fake fangs in his smile. Lance felt his face heat up.

“So I got you a shot,” Keith held out the shot glass. Lance took it and winked before taking the shot. His face wrinkled and he made a dramatic noise. 

“Seriously vodka?” Keith laughed and took his own shot. Lance looked around, realizing he had no idea where Hunk, Shay, and Pidge were. “Do you know where everyone else is?” he asked, feeling the warmth buzz of alcohol.

“Probably dancing,” Keith grabbed Lance and began dragging him off. “Let’s find them!” He said over his shoulder. Keith was extra bold from the two shots he had taken before.

Lance really loved to dance, so he didn’t complain when Keith pulled him to the dancefloor. It was loud and hot and  _ so _ much fun. Remix after remix of cheesy halloween songs played while they danced. Lance and Keith danced clumsily, spinning each other and laughing. 

Lance had pulled Keith away long enough to get a new drink. He sat Keith down at a table and went to get them both drinks. Lance could hold his liquor well but the same couldn’t be said for Keith. Lance was warm and fuzzy as he sat at the bar getting two vodka cranberries. Lance had come to this bar before with Hunk and Pidge, but he never really danced. Usually they would get tipsy and talk too loud at a table, never really dancing. 

Lance made it to the table and held out the drink “Your vodka cranberry,  _ sir _ ” He teased. Keith took it gratefully. The pair hadn’t really talked much. They had basically only danced and exchanged goofy grins all night. Lance was actually looking forward to talking to Keith. He was too busy with studying to text him.

“Sir? That's a new one! I thought I was ‘Mullet’” Keith Slurred. Maybe Lance should’ve gotten him a water.

“Well, you are a vampire. Don’t want to offend an immortal being” Lance snickered and rested his head in his palms. The whiskers he drew on earlier were smeared across his cheeks. 

Keith giggled and his cheeks flushed. Lance felt his chest squeeze and he hurried to take another drink, blaming it on the buzz. ‘I like your costume. It's classy, a cat?”

Lance nodded, “I’m a cat! Duh!”

“Did you seriously just make a Mean Girls reference?” Keith laughed and finished his drink. “I came out to my brother while we watched that movie” Keith picked out ice from his cup and crunched on it.

Lance felt his heart still pounding in his chest. “You’re gay?”

“Uh yah,” Keith said absent mindedly and continued eating ice. He leaned on his elbows on the table and purred “Why Lance, have a crush?” he paused and winked. Lance gulped and felt his ears heat up. “Just kidding!” Keith giggled and fell back into the chair.

Lance laughed sheepishly and sipped his drink. He looked up to see the rest of the group walking over.

Pidge was first at the table sliding into the chair next to Lance and taking a drink out of his cup. “Helloooo~!”

Hunk waved “Pidge is drunk.”    
“Am not!!” She slurred and crossed her arms. 

“I do not believe that at all,” Hunk laughed. “I think we are going to go, I need to get Pidge back to her dorm before she blackouts.” 

Shiro and allura were standing behind Keith, Shiro speaking to him softly. “We are going to go too, Keith isn’t great at holding his alcohol.” Keith just snorted in response. 

“We can drop you off when we take Pidge,” Shay offered and jingled her keys. She must have been the DD. 

Lance nodded and grabbed his glass back from Pidge. “Then let's be off!” He got up and steadied himself on the table. Keith and Lance walked behind the rest of the group.

“Wanna get coffee and study sometime?” Keith asked as they walked outside, wrapping himself in his cape. 

Lance looked at him with wide eyes, “yeah! Yeah sure, I’ll text you.” 

Keith nodded and turned to follow Shiro to the car, “Ok Kitty cat!”

Keith was a very bold drunk.


	6. Chapter 6

Shiro looked up from his plate as Keith slid around the kitchen floor in socks. 

“You’re up” Shiro said in between bites of eggs. 

Keith nodded and filed through a stack of papers on the counter. “Apparently I told Lance we’d get coffee”. He held up his wallet , “found it!” he hurried out of the kitchen and into the small living room behind Shiro. He started digging through a basket of clean laundry that was on the sofa- Keith needed to fold that later.

Shiro turned around in his chair and watched Keith desperately search through the wrinkled laundry. “So why are you in such a rush?” 

Keith’s head emerged out of the second basket. “Well not only did I ask him to go get coffee sometime,” He held up an oversized black t shirt, “I  _ also _ confirmed that ‘sometime’ would be today. And I’m already 15 minutes late because Drunk Keith hates Sober Keith.” 

“It’s not my fault you don’t know when to stop” Shiro laughed. Keith pulled off last nights shirt and put on the new one. “I was planning on kicking you out anyways- Allura is coming over.”

Keith groaned “gross Shiro!” He plucked Shiro’s keys off the coffee table and jingled them. “I am taking your car, enjoy your adult activities,” Before Shiro could interject, Keith was out the door.

Keith and Shiro lived in a small apartment on the edge of campus. Originally Keith wanted to attend school out of state, but after their parents passed, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Keith was adopted but he still considered them his real parents. The first few months after their deaths, Keith saw a side of Shiro he never knew existed. For the first time he had to take care of Shiro. Keith and Shiro found a new normal and Keith didn’t want to disturb that. 

Keith bounced down the stairs and unlocked the car. He realized as he sat down in the driver’s seat that he didn’t bring a jacket.  _ Too late.  _ He turned up the radio, hooked his phone up to the bluetooth, and left. 

Keith’s mind wandered a lot. He wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, so most of the time he spent a lot in his own head. Sometimes he overanalyzed embarrassing memories from 5 years ago, sometimes he made entire worlds and stories, and sometimes he just  _ wondered _ . Right now he was wondering.  _ What the fuck did I drink last night? What did I say?  _ He turned on his blinker.  _ Did I do something stupid?  _ A right turn.  _ Oh wait- do I have rehearsal? _ By the time Keith had finished looking over a mental calendar, he was in the parking lots of the coffee shop. It was across from the theatre but Keith had never been.

Keith opened the door and a bell jingled. He spotted Lance sitting at a small table against the windows. He already had a coffee and was preoccupied on his phone. He walked over and set the car keys down gently on the table. 

“Hey” Keith felt his heart speed up.  _ It’s just nerves. _

Lance looked up and beamed, Messy brown hair reflecting light from the window. “Hey! I got you a bagel” He nudged a paper bag across the table as Keith sat down.

“Oh, thank you,” Keith twiddled his thumbs, preparing himself for his obligatory ‘sorry i don't handle my liquor well’ chat. “I’m sorry about being late- and well- last night. I don’t remember most of it. I probably said something stupid.”

Lance laughed and waved his hand, “you were entertaining!” Keith felt himself blushing.  _ What does that even mean? _ “But no, you didn’t say anything stupid.” He took a sip of his drink and sat back in his chair. 

Keith nodded, his mind racing for a talking point. Lance must have seen the lost look on his face because he sat his mug down and continued, “So Mullet, what’s your major?” He wiped away the whipped cream on his nose with the back of his hand.

“Technical theatre,” Keith said, feeling more comfortable. “And you’re a bio major?”

“Yeah, I wanted to major in english but that degree is… less than useful”.

Keith snorted, “Shiro wanted to be an english major too- he ended up going into science, too”.

Lance sniffled and rested his face on his palm. “Shiro is your brother right?” 

Keith nodded and shifted in his chair. “For 7 whole years”. Keith noticed the very confused glance Lance gave him, “I was adopted when i was 13- im nearly 20 now- so 7 years.”

“Ooooooh! I'm surprised Shiro hadn’t brought you up before. I’ve met him a couple of times, but he never gets into specifics.” 

Keith rolled his eyes, “Yep thats Shiro. He’s protective and very private.” He glanced around the cafe- it was mostly empty. He could feel the cold air seeping in from the window he was sitting against. Soft pop music played overhead and every once in awhile a barista called out someone's name and slid a coffee across the counter. He silently regretted not coming here sooner; the cafe was nice. “Do you come here a lot?” He looked over at Lance, waiting for a response, and caught him sticking his finger in the whipped cream on his coffee. 

“Oh! Yeah. Pidge and I come here a lot to study.” Lance continued eating whip cream. It looked like the mug was full of more whipped topping than coffee.

“I’m over here all the time for theatre but never have come in.” Keith gestured out the big window to the theatre across the street. “I guess when i get out of rehearsal I just want to go home,” he laughed.

“What’s it like? Theatre? You don’t seem like a very… theatrical person.” Lance laughed and made and big gesture with his hand. 

Keith sputtered and shook his head. “I don’t  _ act!  _ I am a  _ technical _ theatre major- like lights and sound.” Keith had only acted a few times. He hated it and threw up before going on stage each time. “I have stage fright.”

“I’m sure you’re good at it, better than me,” Lance paused and smirked “and i’m great at basically everything.”

Keith chuckled “yeah haha mr. natural talent”

“You said it, not me!” 

Keith rolled his eyes as a comfortable silence fell over the pair. “Do you want to come to our show? We are doing Fiddler on The Roof, Its next week,” Keith asked.

“Sure! I’ll bring Pidge and Hunk!” Keith blinked owlishly- he didn’t think Lance would actually want to go. 

“Yeah that’ll be cool. You can go to closing night- usually it’s the best show. Its on Thursday.” Keith hadn’t invited a friend to his show since highschool.

“Like Thursday, as in the day before Halloween?” Lance asked and rocked his mug back and forth. 

“Oh yeah- I hadn’t realized. If you’re bus-”

Lance cut him off, reaching across the table and grabbing Keith by the shoulders. “No! We will go Mullet! I’m looking forward to it.” 

Keith’s heart pattered in his chest loudly, they were almost as close as they were when they first met. Lance sat back in his chair and checked his phone. “Well then I better see you there,” Keith said, faking confidence. 

* * *

By the time Keith left, the sun was going down and it felt 20 degrees colder. He sat in Shiro’s car in the cafe parking lot. The windows were fogged up from the chill and Keith leaned his seat all the way back as he waited for the car to heat up.

Shiros' car was nice. The interior was tan and smelled like Shiro’s cologne. Keith had a few folders laying in the backseat. He didn’t take Shiro’s car out often anymore, ihe usually just walked or got a ride. It was nice being able to sit in the car, alone with his thoughts.

Keith’s thoughts turned back to Lance. His Stupid tan skin and messy brown hair. Keith wasn’t very chatty or very open- so why did he feel so at ease with Lance? Thinking of Lance going to the show made his stomach flip. He could  _ not _ be crushing on another straight guy. Was Lance even straight? It didn’t matter because Keith did  _ not _ have a crush.

There was a soft knock on the foggy windows and Keith jumped up and wiped away the fog with his sleeve. 

“Lance?” Standing outside of the driver side of the car was Lance, shivering. Keith rolled down the window. “Yes?”

“I know I said I could walk back to my dorm because I walked here- but It’s really fucking cold.” Lance had a sheepish smile.

Keith rolled his eyes and unlocked the car. “Get in”. 

Lance got in the car quickly. “My dorm is just down the street”. He buckled his seat belt as Keith backed out.

Keith tried to focus on driving and not the silence of the car.

Lance must have felt the awkward mood because he spoke up, “I had a lot of fun. Thanks for inviting me out, even if you were drunk when you did it.”

Keith nodded, “yeah, what can I say? Drunk Keith- Left or right?” Lance pointed left, “-Is very outgoing.” Lance wasn’t lying when he said his dorm was nearby. Keith parked at the curb.

“Drunk Keith and I should talk more often,” Lance teased as got out, puffs of white breath leaving his mouth. “But really, thank you. And thanks for the ride.” 

“Yeah”

“Yeah” Lanced smiled and closed the door, hurrying to the entrance of the dorms. 

  
“Yeah? That's what you say keith?? ‘Yeah’?“ Keith hissed at himself and threw his head back. “God! I’m an idiot!” 

Keith sat in front of the door for a couple of minutes, alone with his thoughts again. His phone vibrated in the cup holder.

**Shiro**

U been good? Its been a few hours…

Omw home rn

Keith closed out of the message and his fingers hovered over Lance’s contact. He pressed it quickly and sent a message.   
  


**Lance**

I had fun too

Lance started typing and Keith took a deep breath.

**Lance**

I had fun too

Looking forward to your show mullet:-)  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter! i'm trying to get the rest of the fic up before halloween (tmrw)

Lance Opened the door to Hunk’s dorm to find Pidge and Hunk hunched over a small table. Hunk had a single dorm; it was pretty small but he managed to fit a bed, small card table. He also had a makeshift kitchen that his RA most certainly did _not_ know about. There was a stack of books and homework thrown across the night table.

“Go fish!” Pidge shouted with a smirk. She crossed her arms smugly.

Hunk tossed down his cards, “How are you this good at  _ every _ card game?!” He looked up and nodded at Lance, a bright smile coming across his face.

“Am I interrupting something?” Lance snickered and set his coat down on the bed.

“Not at all- I just won, again.” Pidge tossed her shaggy hair sarcastically. She started stacking up the cards neatly, hiding a smile. Hunk Groaned. 

“Oh- by the way- you have to come watch Fiddler On The Roof with me tomorrow.” Lance mentioned quickly. He fell into Hunks bed with a thump. The ceiling was textured and Lance could imagine how satisfying it would be to scratch it off.

“Sure that seems fun!” Hunk quipped. Lance could hear Pidge abruptly stop shuffling cards.

“Waitwaitwait! Hunk look at him! He is so hiding something.” Lance turned his head quickly and glared at Pidge. Hunk and Pidge starred back. “You glossed over that  _ way _ too quickly….” Pidge crossed her arms smugly.

“I’m not hiding anything. Keith just invited me- us.” Lance said, trying to mask the flutter in his chest. Lance had gone to his friends' events before. He had hung out and got coffee. So why does the mere mention of Keith make him…. So mushy. Lance had never felt this way about someone before. Well.. he has before. He has dated his fair share of girls in highschool and  _ that’s _ what this mushy feeling is.

“Lance- you are red.” Hunk said with raised eyebrows. 

Lance sat up quickly, wide eyed. “I am not!” he looked away, “are we going to eat?”

Pidge leaned in, her voice not as teasing and harsh, “You’re changing the subject,” She gave Hunk a glance, “You never do that..” Pidge sat back into the chair, the sweet tone of voice gone; “Oh my god Lance!! You so Have a crush on someone in the show!”

Hunk nodded, silently agreeing,”You would never go to a musical if there was not a girl involved.” 

Lance put his face into his hands. “Yeah! I might have a crush-” he waved his hands”- big deal!” Although he said out loud he had a crush, how could he? Lance liked girls. He wasn’t gay, so why did he like Keith? 

“So tell us about her” Hunk hummed while turning his chair around to face Lance. Pidge blinked silently, waiting for Lance.

“Well.. they are kind of reserved. But in a nice way. And i love their hair- It looks like black feathers. They are just so… Nice.” Lance admitted sheepishly. He could go on more; The way Keith’s nose crinkled when he laughed, The way his worn shirt collars show off his collarbones. Talking with keith was so effortless. The silences weren't awkward and annoying. Lance would text him a lot more but he was too nervous to.

“What else about her?” Hunk asked, genuinely curious.

“Him” Lance said quietly and looked up, waiting for the pair’s reaction. They didn’t seem to react at all. Lance felt his heart pounding in his chest, as he said it again, but louder. “It’s a he.” He felt his stomach twist in knots. Lance wasn't worried about his friends' reactions, he knew they'd be supportive. But for some reason he couldn't get past the overwhelming feeling of anxiety.

Pidge shook her head, “Ok so you’re bi, like it wasn’t obvious, what else?” 

Hunk and Pidge could practically see the wheels turning in Lances head. “What’s bi? Wait- obvious?” he sputtered. He had heard the term before but didn't really know what it meant. He always thought it was one or the other- not both.

Pidge laughed, “ _ Bisexual? _ It means you like guys and girls.” Lance nodded, calming down. “And well, you aren’t very discreet when you check people out. I assumed maybe you just assumed we already knew.” Pidge concluded.

Hunk nodded in agreement, “thank you for telling us, i'm glad you trust us enough to!” He smiled brightly. The feeling in Lance's stomach lightened.

“So i’m bi I think” Lance twiddled his fingers. He knew Pidge and Hunk wouldn’t care- he even knew his family wouldn’t care. So why was he so.. Nervous? He looked down at his lap and took a deep breath. He felt Hunk wrap his arms around him.

“Hey, it’s alright! This is a big change, man” Hunk said and patted his back. He sat down next to Lance on the bed and held Lance tightly. 

“I hadn’t realised until like 5 minutes ago..” Lance admitted. “I didn’t put two and two together.. But yeah, I like Keith.”

There was a beat of silence as Hunk gave lance a final squeeze. “Let’s play more cards- I’ll go easy on you.” Pidge chirped.

“You aren’t going to win Pidge!” Lance shouted and stood up. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeaaa!!!!!! some fluffy stuff. and more theatre lingo. Last 2 chapters will be up tmrw!!!!

So far, The show was going great. It was closing night so of course it would be the smoothest. A junior was in the booth with him, running sound. It was currently the second act so Keith had some time to just watch and enjoy the show. The headset he had to wear was uncomfortable and dug into his right ear. The audience was silent and still as the actor on stage ran on. 

“Standby LX Q 14-16….” Allura’s soft voice from the headset chimed. Keith sat forward, ready to change the lighting. It was an intense scene- Tevye was about to disown his daughter. If all things went well, there would be cold wash downstage and a red spotlight in the center. “LX Q 14, Go.” Keith pressed a button and looked up, the stage now flooded with blue light. “LX Q 15 and 16 go..” The red spotlight flashed as the orchestra began playing.

The next few scenes were devoid of complex lighting- all Keith had to do was blackouts and fades. He found himself humming along to the songs. Keith wondered if Lance showed up. 

“Hey Keith,” Allura said through the headset. Keith’s stomach dropped,  _ fuck! Did I miss a que? _

“Yes?” He whispered back, flipping through the script looking for any cues he might have missed.

“Can you stay behind after the show and deal with the mics? I think I’m going to go to dinner with Shiro.” Keith could hear an actress doing a quick change in the back as Allura spoke.  _ Thank God I did not miss a que. _

“Yeah sure-”

“Standby for blackout.” Allura Interrupted

“Why did you have to ask me that now.. I thought I missed a cue and was about to piss myself,” Keith heard the sound tech next to him chuckle. Allura sharply inhaled and began to call the blackout cue. “I got it” 

The second half of the second act seemed to drag on forever. Keith had seen it so many times and just wanted to see if Lance came. He tried to scan the audience for Lance’s tall silhouette but couldn’t find it.

By the time Keith faded on the house lights, he was itching to get out of the booth. He tried to find Lance in the crowds of people leaving the theatre, but didn’t manage to find him. Usually Keith waited in the booth until the crowd had dispersed, but tonight he just wanted to leave. He grabbed his things and hurried out of the booth.

Keith stood awkwardly in the audience, looking around at groups of people chatting in their seats, holding flowers, and having short phone conversations. Keith’s phone buzzed in his pocket; his chest pattered.

He pulled his phone out and unlocked it, expecting to see a message from Lance. Keith’s smile was wiped clean from his face when he saw the message. He felt the color drain from his face.

**Unknown number**

Your show was cute. So sad we couldn’t chat when I saw you at the festival. 

Keith stared blankly at his phone. There’s no way Lotor would be texting him, but who else could it be. His hands shook as he typed out a response.

**Unknown number**

Your show was cute. So sad we couldn’t chat when I saw you at the festival. 

Who is this?

Maybe ill see you tmrw, wouldn’t want to miss you.

Keith didn’t know how to respond, he just turned off his phone and stared back into his dark reflection. He nearly fell over when he felt a smack on his shoulders. He looked up with wide eyes to find Lance standing next to him. Lance was wearing a big blue sweater and a grin.

“That was so cool! The part where they were all dru-” Lance said brightly. He cut himself off when he realized how pale Keith was. “Hey are feeling okay, Mullet?” He held onto Keith’s shoulder for a moment.

Keith shook his head and smiled, “Yeah- Just got a weird text. Thanks for coming” 

“Hey Keith! Do you want to go to dinner with us?” He turned around and saw Shay hand in hand with Hunk on the stage. Allura walked out onto stage, Shiro following after her. “Shiro, Allura, Pidge, Hunk and I.”

“I can find someone else to put away mics” Allura added.

Keith looked around quickly. “No its fine! I’ll put the mics away then meet you there.”

Allura crossed her arms, “I drove you here, how will you get to the restaurant?”

Keith hadn’t thought of that. Frankly, he didn’t want to go to dinner. Seeing Lotor’s text drained all of the energy out of him. 

“I can drive him,” Lance offered. His voice was sweet. 

Keith blushed, “No it's okay!” Everyone looked around, not sure what to say. 

“Too bad! We will see you guys in a bit.” Keith started to protest before standing with an open mouth in the empty theatre. Each couple quickly left. 

Lance rocked on his heels for a moment. “So how can I help!” 

Keith shook his head and set down his binder and phone. “You don’t have to help, I just have to check that each mic got returned and is charging.” His mind raced.  _ I am alone with lance in the theatre. Oh God oh God oh God! _ He felt himself turning red when he heard thumps behind him.

“You can't get away that fast mullet,” Lance teased as he caught up with Keith. Lance followed him around like a puppy in the green room. Keith quickly gathered up all the mics and marked which were where. Keith tried to focus on the task at hand, not the fact that he kept finding himself alone with Lance.

Lance was leaning on a counter beside Keith, looking around. He stood up and leaned over Keith.

“Uh!” Keith jolted and stood up into Lance. Lance fell sideways and grabbed at Keith’s shirt, pulling him down alongside him.

Lance erupted in laughter, falling back onto the ground. “Dude! I was looking at the pictures above you!” 

“You scared me!” Keith reasoned, standing up and brushing off his pants. “I didn’t realize you were there and I felt you breathe!” he laughed at himself, admiring Lance’s smile.

Lance popped up, “I know, cute boys like me are  _ so _ scary” he teased. 

Keith finished plugging in the last mic and turned, rolling his eyes, “so scary!”

“Did you just agree that I’m cute?” Lance sneered and stood up. Keith felt a blush creeping up his cheeks.

He turned nonchalantly, “Yes, so?” Keith knew he must have been beet red. He quickly pulled open the green room door.

“Well I think you’re cute, too.” Lance said as he leaned on the door frame. Keith avoided his glance. When he finally looked at Lance, he stuck his tongue out and crossed his arms. 

Keith leaned against the door, holding it open. His mind felt like it was running at the speed of light.  _ Is this flirting? Is Lance flirting? Oh my god is Lance bi? _

“Tha-” Keith was cut off as Lance leaned in softly. He paused for a moment and smiled at Keith- that same goofy grin. Keith closed the space between them and their lips met. 

The kiss was soft and shy. Not awkward, just unsure. Keith’s arms were glued to his side and he leaned forward. Lance smiled into the kiss, bringing his hand up to Keith's cheek. 

Keith had leaned too far forward and the heavy door shut on the pair. 

“Sorry!” Keith cursed, quickly pushing the door back open. Lance was smiling and staring back, practically unbothered by the door that just smacked them both in the head.

“I think I wanted to do that for awhile.” Lance admitted and stepped out of the door way.

“Yeah I think so too,” Keith followed him.

Lance’s car was messy. Keith Didn’t mind it, though. There was an overwhelming carmel smell that mingled in the air. They hadn’t said much since they got in the car. The only noise was the heater. 

Lance came to a stop in front of the local Denny's. Keith could see his friends inside the window, laughing and chatting. He unbuckled, ready to get out, when Lance leaned across the center console. 

“Can I kiss you again, Keith?” He asked quietly. Keith blinked, processing what he had asked. 

“Yeah” he whispered back. 

The kiss was much more confident. Lance brushed his thumb across Keith's jaw and pulled back slightly. Keith opened his eyes and pressed his forehead to Lance’s. The car was already almost freezing again and their breath was little puffs of white. 

“Your eyes are so pretty. Like.. Purple… things.” 

Keith snorted, “Thank you Lance.”

They pulled apart and Keith tossed on his coat, ready to go inside. Lance pulled his keys from the ignition and stepped out of the car. 

Keith felt a buzz from his head to his toes, like he was flying. He chewed on his bottom lip trying to hide his smile. Keith reached his hand to Lance’s and tugged on his pinky. Lance laced his fingers through his and dramatically swung their hands.

Keith giggled and Lance hopped through the parking lot, spinning under their hands. 

He finally broke away and opened the door, bowing in front of it “m’lady,” Lance said in a pitiful british accent. 

Keith laughed. He had completely forgotten about Lotor’s texts. He was happy and content with his friends. He held Lance’s hand under the table the whole time. He felt safe.


End file.
